The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-09-22
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY


touching the afflicted person.
The servant was too vi to 20 or send to
Christ for help The Centurion. his master,
went. according to the account of st. Matthew,
in person, and applied 10 Jesus for assistance.
According TO the account of ST. Luke. he went
through the agency of some Jewish Elders. est.
Luke, 7:3.) The Jews at first were those who
lived in the Kingdom Of Judah. Then, after
the secession of the 10 tribes Jews were those
who resided in the territory of tine tribes OF
Judah and Benjamin. After the Babylonian
Captivity (B. G. 5l3) all Israelites were called
Jews. Perhaps the Elders referred TO in st.
Luke, t. were the Elders of the synagogue
which the Centurion had built (St Lu., 1867
Every synagogue bad several such. They were
also called Rulers.
There seens a discrepancy in the accounts of
this miracle rs given by st. Matthew and st.
Luke. St Matthew says plainly. the Centurion
went To Christ aud besought the cure. st. Luke
rs clearly states the Elders went seeking
Christs assistance, and does not mention that
the Centurion went. But even If the Con-
turion did not CO. the accounts would not be
untrue nor contradictory. Says LIE Clerc:
The messenger of any man is as, or equal TO,
the man himself The ambassador of king is
as, or equal to- the King" In court, what an
attorney does, the party for whom he acts is
said 10 do. Compare st. Matthew, 20: 20. with
81. Mark, 10: 81. SITS. James and John acted
was merely their attorney or agent. Compare
also st. John, 3: %, with 4 i, 2. So st. John,
10: i, means Plate ordered Jesus to be scourged
Read Elk, 1876, z. In V. Jethro must have
spoken by messenger. for, after said speaking,
Moses went out TO meet Jethro. Read also st.
Matthew, IL q. 3. 1t is plain ST. John Baptist
spoke 10 Christ not in person, but through the
agents referred to in Va In Eph., 2: IL, the
meaning is not that Christ actually preached
in Ephesus but that he did so through his
ministers; for Christ was never in Asia Minor.
The Centurion as really came 10 Jesus through
the Elders as he built the synagogue. (St. Lu.,
7:5.) In literal sense he did not build syna-
gogue. 1t was constructed by his financial
supplies Ii is only in this sense that Solomon
built the first temple and Herod the second.
May we not infer also the Centurion did not
90 in person TO Christ? Would not the same
feeling of unwOrthiness 10 have Jesus enter
the house, be in his way rs to personal inter
view? And we can hardly imagine Christ
would so praise a man to his face rs in So. Matt,
3: 10, and st. Luke, 7:9. Ii is true Jesus
praised men at times in their hearing, but
never so prodigiously rs here. When he COM
plimented at all, it was generally for the pur-
pose of encouraging n stumbling, falling one,
so rs 10 renew his hope. Then, If such a Sc
we're contrast between Jews aud Gentiles were
made in the presence OF the Gentiles, the Jews
would have been too offended to maintain
silence. III the writers OF the New Testament
had planned 10 deceive in their writings, they
would have taken care not to have any such
apparent differences in their versions of the
same circumstance.
Did Christ see the Centurion at all? We
cannot determine whether Jesus saw either the
Centurion or his servant. 1t is possible the
Centurion and the Elders both went to Christ.
Verse - Of ST. Matthew's account may, how
ever, teach that Christ spoke to the Centurion
by sending word back through the same Elders
who had spoken for the Centurion.
We do not know tho name, age, ETC., of the
Centurion. Roman soldiers were, however,
discharged at pfObably not far from 40 years of
age. Being in service, he can be supposed to
have been a man in middle life. 1t is most
likely he was a Centurion under Herod Anti
pas, from the fact this Herod lived at Caperna-
um and was Governor of Gallee. A Centurion
was a commander OF 100 soldiers. His kind
ness is seen in his interest for his servant; his
benefcence, in the building of synagogue;
his theologic libsrality. in the fact that though
a Roman, he helped the Jewish religion his
wealth, in his ability to erect at his own ex-
pense place of worship. Exclusive as was the
faith of the Israelites, il yet left room for Gen.
tiles 10 become either jews with all rights or
else afiliating Jews. Theilast class were called
proselytes of the gate. 1t is thought the Gen.
turion was one Of these. Such were COrne-
Illus, Lydia, the Ethiopian eunuch, Justus and
others.
We know very little of the servant. No
name is mentioned. st. Matthew in both cases
lin the Creek styles him pals or boy. st.
Luke, besides calling him lin Greek} pGiS,
also styles him lin Creek doalOs, or slave.
Boy (pais) is a kinder, dearer word. and is the
one used by the Centurion as TO his servant.
We do not understand son. The servant was
probably also a Gentle.
The Physician was Christ. In this material
miracle he pictured his spiritual remedies.
The disease was palsy. Paralysis is the loss
of power to control ones motions. 1t comes
from Greek verb tparaIEo), which means 10
relar at The side, and is applied in medical works
10 the palsy. Such a loOsening Of the nerves
in some cases affects the entire body. Leprosy
also sometimes affects the whole body; at other
times only part or parts. Palsy Is not men,
toned in the Old Testament. IL ID said the
patient was greatly tormented. Palsy is not
generally painful disorder. But yet stages Of
palsy arc very agonizi1g. Tetanus sometimes
joins the palsy, specially in warm climates, and
then the patients suffering is terribly excruci-
ating A form OF the palsy which contracts
and comforts the joints is very painful. Teta-
nus twists the body out of shape. DIR. James
Strong, Of Drew Theological Seminary, asks
whether this case be not inflammatOry rheu-
matsm. Palsy is admitted 10 be n very diifi-
cult disease 10 handle. (St. Matt, 4:2L)
The remedy was a command from Christ. A
word did il. But back of the word was the
power OF God. Omnipotenee accounts for the
result. Notice, too, the Doctor and patient
were at distance from each other Over this
space went the fiat accompanied by the divine
energy. Before the Elders reached the house
the servant was in health. The cure was in
Simultaneous (St Matt. s: 49, Further, the
cure was permanent. (St. Luke, z: I0.)
The reporters of the miracle were SITS. Mat
thew and Luke. The account of the latter is
fullest. st. Matthew was an eyewitness. The
two Gospels were written at about the same
date "a. ID. 63), or about 50 years after the
event st. Matthew wrote at Rome and st.
Luke at Achaia.
A part explanation Of the miracle is the faith
of the Centurion and of the Elders, and possi-
bly, of the patient. (St. Matt, 81 10, and st.
Luke, 7:9.) This faith was inspired largely,
without doubt, by Christ's former six miracles
in Capernanm: i. The great draught of fishes.
:. The restoration TO health, or sanencss, of the
demoniac. 3. The cure of st. Peters mother
in-law. 4. The healing of a miscellaneous
crowd. .. The recovery of the paralytic. q.
The withered hand strengthened. Then, the
people doubtless heard OF Christs miracles at
other places. He after this performed one
more cure of palsy.
Suggestions: a.
j. BE humble. Do not have exalted ideas of
your importance. Recall tha cases of the prodi-
| gal, the publican, the Syro- Phenician, ST. John
| Baptist (St. Matt. 3: H.
>. So act as 10 be held in high public esteem.
3. BE kind 10 the subjugated. Treat serv-
| ants without severity, DOtnOt send them of